Before it was even released, many within the industry were predicting that Jaws would be an unmitigated disaster. Inexperienced director Steven Spielberg had gone $5m over-budget and 100 days over schedule, the cast were suffering from seasickness and an increasing dislike of each other, and the mechanical shark was causing no shortage of problems for the crew. Instead, this tortured production resulted in the biggest movie of all time and effectively birthed the summer blockbuster as we know it. The movie that scared an entire generation from going in the water, almost 40 years on Jaws remains one of the most expertly-crafted thrillers in history. John Williams' iconic music, the strong performances from the central trio and Spielberg's incredibly efficient direction combine to create a white-knuckle thrill ride full of increasing tension, suspense, heart, humor and one jump-scare you'll never forget. Backed by an unprecedented marketing blitz and enthusiastic word-of-mouth, Jaws went on to become a cultural phenomenon when it landed in theaters and went on to become the highest-grossing movie in history with a box office gross of $470.6m (almost $2bn when adjusted for inflation). As well as launching Spielberg's career and giving rise to the summer event movie, Jaws is simply one of the most exhilarating genre pictures ever made.
I don't do social media, so like or follow me in person but please maintain a safe distance or the authorities will be notified. Don't snap me though, I'll probably break. I was once labelled a misogynist on this very site in a twenty paragraph-long rant for daring to speak ill of the Twilight franchise. I stand by what I said, it's crap.
